Tennessee death row inmate Byron Black moaned and said he was in pain during his execution, according to reporters who witnessed the lethal injection yesterday morning.

• Black's attorney said his distress was evidence he was "tortured." Black's legal team had argued his heart implant could create unconstitutional pain during the execution.

At one point, Black told his spiritual adviser, who was with him, it was "hurting so bad," according to witness accounts.

• Prison officials took Black into the execution chamber at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution shortly after 10am. He was declared dead at 10:43am.
• Multiple media witnesses said Black appeared to be in more distress than inmate Oscar Franklin Smith, who was put to death by lethal injection earlier this year.

The big picture: Black's attorneys asked multiple courts to delay the execution so doctors could deactivate a medical device implanted last year to keep his heart beating normally.

• The lawyers said the device could deliver painful repeated shocks in an attempt to restore Black's heartbeat. They argued that would amount to cruel and unusual punishment that violated the U.S. Constitution.
• They had also fought to stop the execution because of Black's intellectual disability. Prosecutors agreed the new state standards would make Black ineligible for the death penalty if he were tried today.

Black, 69, was sentenced to death for the 1988 shooting deaths of his girlfriend Angela Clay and her two young daughters, 9-year-old Latoya and 6-year-old Lakeisha.

• The Clay family, which provided a statement after the execution, said "a load and burden that has been lifted off our hearts."

"This is closure for my family," Clay's sister wrote in the statement. "My sister and her two daughters can finally rest in peace."

What she's saying: Federal public defender Kelley Henry, who represented Black, said the state had "heartlessly and intentionally traumatized a second family today. A family that matters. A family that is devastated."

• She said the legal team would seek access to the medical implant and EKG records from the execution.

Share this story

The Titans ground out a deal to make locally owned 8th & Roast Coffee Co. the team's official coffee.

• The deal will begin this season and continue after the new Nissan Stadium opens.

Why it matters: Partnering with 8th & Roast hints at the Titans plans to give their new stadium local flavor.

What to expect: 8th & Roast will sell coffee at multiple Nissan Stadium locations this season.

What they're saying: "Partnering with a local business isn't just about great coffee—it's about bringing the spirit of Nashville right into our stadium," Titans senior vice president and chief revenue officer Adam Nuse said in a press release.

• 8th & Roast CEO Ed Reed called the deal with the Titans "a major milestone" for the coffee company.

Zoom out: The coffee shop and roaster opened on 8th Avenue South and has steadily expanded, with locations in Midtown, on Charlotte Pike and at the airport.

Share this story

🍻 The owner of Robert's Western World honky-tonk purchased the neighboring building, which is home to Jack's Bar-B-Que, for a record price.

• Robert's plans to expand its honky-tonk. Jack's will close after 31 years on Lower Broadway. (Nashville Business Journal, subscription)

📚 Tennessee's strict third grade reading law has led to some signs of improved test scores, but researchers say it's too early to determine the policy's effectiveness. (Tennessean)

🏈 Underdog receivers James Proche and Bryce Oliver are pushing to make the Titans' 53-man roster. (Nashville Post)

Uncle Nearest, the Tennessee whiskey brand that's enjoyed a meteoric rise since it launched a decade ago, was hit with a $108 million federal lawsuit last week from a lender that helped finance its expansion.

Why it matters: The lawsuit calls into question the future of the Shelbyville-based spirits company.

Zoom in: The plaintiff, a Kentucky-based agricultural lending cooperative called Farm Credit Mid-America, claims Uncle Nearest is in default on its loan agreement.

• Farm Credit Mid-America filed the suit in the Eastern Tennessee federal court and asked that a judge appoint a receiver to oversee Uncle Nearest's financial operations.

State of play: According to the lawsuit, Uncle Nearest failed to pay back loans and lines of credit that Farm Credit Mid-America provided. The lawsuit also alleges that the distillery did not provide detailed reports about its business operations, as required by its loan agreement.

• Uncle Nearest executives and co-founders Fawn Weaver and her husband, Keith Weaver, are named as defendants.

The other side: In a response filed this week, Uncle Nearest disputed the need for a receiver. The company called the plaintiff's lawsuit "salacious and inaccurate."

• Uncle Nearest attributed its financial predicament to "fraudulent activity" by a top executive, who the company has since fired. That executive was not named as a defendant.
• Uncle Nearest claims in its filing that it made "good faith" efforts to resolve the default, including millions of dollars in repayments last year.

In a social media post, Fawn Weaver again denied the claims in the lawsuit and called on Uncle Nearest fans to rally around the company. She pointed to states like Texas and Georgia, where she says the company is enjoying growth.

• "In a backdrop of industry decline and disarray, Uncle Nearest is the shining star," she said.

Flashback: Uncle Nearest has turned its Shelbyville property into a whiskey-fueled tourist attraction.

Share this story